Sooo… people may think I’m a bit of a grinch but that is absolutely not true. Here’s the deal : I have a very different take on what Christmas means. I love the lights and fun, the treats the songs and making merry does my heart good. I am just not a buyer. Partly because my budget won’t allow it and partly because it makes me irritated and ornery to have the calendar dictate when I give gifts.
Let me clarify on the gifting – I love to give gifts, just not if they are super costly and have little meaning to the receiver. I enjoy sending handwritten notes throughout the year for no special reason. I love sending care packages with homemade items when the mood strikes. I send a text when I think of someone throughout the day. That’s my kind of giving.
My kids are used to my eccentric ways and do not really question it. I let them know before the season if it’s a lean year or a “full” year. Oddly, they have absolutely no qualms either way.
This year they have purchased gifts for each other and I have one gift a piece squirreled away for them. No single present was more than $10. Instead of gifting as much I do an “activity advent”. This has been a fun way to count down the days and truly enjoy each other and the season. For each day of December they get to pull a slip of paper (with a pre-written activity on it) out of the envelope and we do what is listed. Most of these I have made easy to do in a busy day like sing a carol by phone to Grandma. That way it’s very little prep to squeeze an extra event into our already maxed schedule. Some are a bit more involved like baking cookies for neighbors. I gathered ideas from several sites online (don’t remember them all but there are TONS) This is a fun and low cost way to just BE during the holidays and the gift of beautiful memories will live on forever.
Hennekes At Home 